Cop raid victim’s kin stage coffin protest
The family of a suspected gambler who died during a police raid on a gambling den early this month paraded his coffin at Sutthisarn police station to seek justice yesterday.
They raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding Don Daengchantip’s death.
An autopsy, conducted by Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, might have not been done thoroughly, according to the family.
The autopsy was carried out on only parts of the body, said Sira Chenchakha, a former member of now-defunct National Reform Council and a friend of the family.
The institute’s examination found Don had suffered respiratory failure. Metropolitan Police Division 2 chief Pol Col Komsak Sumangkaset has said the 34-year-old man died of a blood circulatory failure along with coronary artery disease.
The family asked Thammasat Hospital to perform the post-mortem again which revealed Don was hit by a hard object many times and had sustained severe bruising and a cracked skull, Mr Sira said.
The family also showed a medical certificate indicating Don did not have a chronic disease.
They questioned the raid on Nov 3 by seven Sutthisarn police officers at the Rungrueang Tonplai community in Huai Khwang district. During the raid, Don was wrestled to the ground and pressed against the floor, according to an initial investigation.
Pol Col Komsak said Don resisted arrest during the raid, so officers pursued him and tackled him to the ground. They then pressed him against the floor. Don died after the raid.
Pol Col Komsak insisted Don would not have died if he had not been suffering existing health problems.
Kanchana Daengchantip said her younger brother had no history of chronic illness. She said the family had been contacted by certain people to negotiate a settlement of Don’s case.
The family yesterday challenged Sutthisarn police chief Pol Col Toemphao Siriphuban to take a look at the body to see whether the autopsy was adequate. It was unclear if the body was in the coffin being paraded around yesterday.
Later in the afternoon, they carried the coffin to Government House to seek justice from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha.
Meanwhile, city police chief Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn said the seven Sutthisarn police have been charged with beating Don to death. They have been transferred to inactive posts pending a decision on whether they should also be suspended from duty.